Mark Hamill sees endless possibilities for "Star Wars" franchise

(LOS ANGELES) — The wait is over! Star Wars: The Last Jedi hits theaters on Thursday, and we know Luke Skywalker will be a big part of this movie, after Mark Hamill was barely in the last one. Whatever the future of the franchise holds for Luke, Hamill tells ABC News the cycle of Star Wars fandom could last indefinitely.

“Original fans have grown up…and they’re sharing it with their family,” he says. “And I think it’s really apropos, because I’ve always thought of these films as fairy tales set in space.”

Of course, the longevity of the franchise comes as no surprise to the 66-year-old actor. While Star Warscreator George Lucas “kept saying these are for adolescents at best,” says Hamill, “these adolescents grow up into 45-year-old fanboys who want to be eight years old all over again.”

Hamill admits he was “in a state of shock,” when Lucas approached him about coming back for the new trilogy. While he found the idea “thrilling in a way,” Mark recalls he was also a little hesitant at first.

“I thought, ‘Let’s leave well enough alone,'” he adds. “We had a beginning, a middle, and an end and everyone was happy.”